Grapple weight for aerial warfare



Oct. 1-7, 1944. 1.. L. COTTON GRAPPLE WEIGHT FOR AERIAL WARFARE Filed Oct. 10, 1941 A QQZaL Patented Oct. 17, 1944 GRAPPLE WEIGHT FOR AERIAL WARFARE Application Gctober 10, 1941.,Serial No. 414,530

1 Claim.

This invention pertains generally to the subject of aerial combat and relates particularly to an improved means for facilitating the destruction of an enemy airplane from an attacking plane.

In aerial warfare it has been proposed to drop bombs from attacking planes on to an enemy plane and to employ grappling devices for insuring the contact of the bomb with the enemy plane. In order to follow this method of attack it is necessary that the attacking plane pass over the attacked plane at a speed greater than that of the attacked plane and to trail the grappling mechanism so that it will become entangled with the underlying enemy plane. This method has not been feasible, however, with any grappling devices at present available because of the fact that such devices offer too great a resistance to air currents and because of the high speeds at which combat planes at present travel with the result that any grappling devices available up to the present time, when lowered or suspended from the attacking plane would be pulled to the rear by wind pressure to such an acute angle with respect to the supporting plane that it would be practically impossible to effect engagement of the grapple device with theattacked plane.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a grapple or contact weight for suspension from the bomb of the attacking plane,

which is so designed that it will offer a minimum of resistance to travel through the air when suspended from a high speed plane and will consequently be suspended from the attacking plane in the most effective manner for making contact with an underlying plane without necessitating bringing the attacking plane in too close proximity to the attacked plane.

Another object of the invention is to provide a grapple or contact weight of the character stated which, because of its design, will maintain a predetermined position when suitably suspended by a cable and drawn through the air by a high speed plane so that it will not only oifer a minimum of resistance to travel through the air but will penetrate any portion of an attacked plane with which it may be brought into contact at the high speed at which it will be drawn through the air so as to efiect the desired coupling of the bomb which is connected with the cable, with the attacked plane.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it being understood, however, that the invention is not to be considered as limited by the specific illustration or description but that such illustration and description constitute a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a schematic view illustrating the use of the bomb grapple or contact weight embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the streamlined weight.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View on the line l4 of Fig. 2.

In connection with the description of the present invention there will first be set forth the method of aerial combat in which the present Weight or grapple device is designed to be used.

In carrying out this method the attacking airplane which is here indicated generally by the character A must overtake and pass above the attacked or enemy plane which is indicated generally by the character E.

The attacking plane will carry one or more bombs, not shown, which may be arranged or supported so as to be easily released and it is preferred that such bombs be equipped with suitable time fuses so as to have a delayed action after release from the carrying or attacking plane.

Each of the bombs will have connected therewith a wire or cable C of suitable strength and suitable mechanism may be provided, with which the cable is connected, to effect the release of the bomb when a sufiicient pull or strain is applied to the cable, Such mechanism is not here shown as the same is not contemplated as being within the scope of the present invention.

The cable C will be of the smallest diameter possible in the light of the strains which will be applied thereto so as to offer the least amount of resistance to passage through the air. The grapple or attacking weight is indicated generally by the character W. This weight is especially designed to maintain its horizontal position when suspended from the cable in the manner hereinafter stated, and to pass through the air with a minimum of resistance so that it will hang down in the proper manner from the attacking plane so that such plane will be able to pass over the enemy plane and cause the Weight to attach itself to the enemy plane without danger of the attacking plane becoming engaged itself with the enemy plane.

As is clearly shown in Figures 2 through 4 inclusive the weight W is of relatively long slender and streamlined design. This weight is preferably formed of a single piece of metal of suitable character and it comprises a main body portion and a nose portion l l. The entire weight body is of circular cross section and it has its greatest diameter forwardly of the transverse center in the portion I! through which the section line 4 is taken.

While the weight is of circular cross section throughout its entire-length its under side is straight throughout from the point of the nose to the tapered rear end of the portion ID.

The body and nose portion of the weight are preferably about 4 feet long although it is to be understood that I'do not Wish to be limited to the particular portions which may be set forth. With a weight of this length the nose portion would be approximately 1 feet long and the diameter at the widest part is approximately 2 /2 inches, the body tapering to the rear to a diameter of about inch 7 At the rear end of the portion In the body is suitably flattened and may be spread slightly as indicated at I3 in Fig. 3 to have secured thereto a rudder unit R which comprises a horizontal vane I4 which is secured directly to the top of the rear end portion I3, and a vertical vane H) which extends longitudinal of the weight upon the top of the horizontal vane l4 and along the longitudinal center thereof.

The horizontal vane M has a down turned flange l6 formed along each of its two sides or longitudinal edges and this tail piece or rudder will, as will be readily understood, function to keep the weight body moving along a straight line thus preventing it from, at any time, assuming a sidewise position or tipping down at the nose or at the rear end.

In practice a weight of the approximate dimensions given should be about 25 lbs. mass and the I cable C is attached by an eye I! or in anyother suitable manner at a point slightly in advance of the weight center so as to give the maximum leading and striking efliciency.

As will be evident from Fig. 2 of thedrawing the nose tapers downwardly from the top of the weight and inwardly from the sides, the bottom From Fig. 1 of the drawing it willbe readily apparent that the attacking plane has the weight suspended therefrom and that it passes over the enemy plane with a view to causing the pointed end of the weight to attach itself to the enemy plane either by penetrating the body, wing or other portions or otherwise entangling itself therewith. When this occurs the bomb release mechanism with which the cable is attached will be actuated so as to release the bomb and the cable will then pull the bomb into contact with the enemy plane or into such close proximity thereto that when the bomb explodes the. enemy plane will be destroyed.

By the employment of a time or delayed action fuse in the bomb the attacking plane is given opportunity to escape before the explosion occurs.

of the nose being horizontal or straight through- V out with the straight bottom portion of the body ID as previously stated. This design of the nose tends to hold the nose of the weight down and it also offers a minimum of resistance to passage of the weight through the air.

The body l0 of the weight is of gradual'taper to a very small rear end diameter as stated so that air currents will flow smoothly along the length of the body and there will not be set up any eddies which would tend to produce reduced pressure areas which might have the effect of retarding the passage of the weight through the air or preventing it from maintaining a horizontal position at all times.

While a cable of any desirable length may be employed it is found that one of approximately 25 feet in length is sufiicient and that due to the streamlined character of the weight there will be very little trailing of the weight and cable. In other words the weight will be positioned beneath the attacking plane so that the suspension cable will have a very slight angle with respect to the line of travel of the supporting plane even though such plane may be travelling at a high rate of speed.

While the present weight device has been described as being designed for use in connection with bombs carried by airplanes it will of course be apparent that due to its novel constructionor design it would pass with equal facility through Water or any other fluid medium and, therefore, a. body of such design might be employed successfully for aerial or marine torpedoes.

What is claimed is:

A grappling device for use in aerial warfare,

comprising an elongated weighted member substantially circular in cross section substantially at all points from end to end, said member havingits under side straight'from end to end, the upper side of the member being inwardly and upwardly inclined from its extremities, the upper forward'inclined portion being of a length'less than one-half the length of the member, a flexiblea horizontal vane extending beyond the. rear end of the weighted member and beyond opposite sides;

thereof, flanges depending from the side marginal portions of the horizontal vane, and an upstanding vertical vane carried by the-horizontal vane at substantially'the transverse center of the horizontal vane.

LODA L. COTTON. 

